Do you think your snake knows that it's eating a dead rat?

[Trackstrong83]

I just fed my BP tonight and I noticed something interesting. When I first got her she was eating live adult mice. She is now eating frozen small rats around 75 grams. When she was eating live, she would hit the mouse and wrap a good portion of her body around the mouse, constrict until it stopped moving, then consume it. But now that she has been eating frozen/thawed for about a month. Now when I feed her she hits the rat, and puts barely her neck around the rat. I try to tug the rat to make it seem alive, but nope, she isn't constricting it at all really. She then continues to consume the rat and go back into her hide.

So, do you think that she knows the rat is already dead, and doesn't feel the need to constrict it because it isn't a threat? Just something that was brought to my attention tonight
This is just asking your opinion.

[Andybill]

When they are constricting their prey they can feel the pulse in the animal some say they can sense a pulse in an animal I dont know how true that is but while they are constricting they can feel the pulse and thats how they tell if the animal is dead so I assume when they strike the F/T and start to wrap they can sense that. However if you hold the rat and provide some resistance they will wrap it fully.

I think those that were started and currently feed on live can tell the difference. the snakes I have that were raised on live show some interest in F/T but never strike so they are still feeding live....

[Trackstrong83]

However if you hold the rat and provide some resistance they will wrap it fully.

See that's the thing, when she strikes it, I take the tongs and pull/wiggle the rat around to try and get her to constrict it fully, but she just won't do it. Maybe I just have a lazy snake

[Andybill]

See that's the thing, when she strikes it, I take the tongs and pull/wiggle the rat around to try and get her to constrict it fully, but she just won't do it. Maybe I just have a lazy snake

You may have a lazy snake or she might be able to tell that its not live. I was watching a program on Nat Geo that said scientists believe most snakes are capable of sensing the pulse of its prey even before they strike it....

[Trackstrong83]

You may have a lazy snake or she might be able to tell that its not live. I was watching a program on Nat Geo that said scientists believe most snakes are capable of sensing the pulse of its prey even before they strike it....

That's why I think she doesn't constrict it. She's like, "Eh, it's already dead what's the point"

[jon7]

My little girl jus started to eat live as of the other day, that was the most intense kill i have ever seen from her. She was very excited! before it was pretty intense, but nothing like it is now

[heathers*bps]

I feed live, so I'm not sure.

Chad feeds all of his p/k or f/t, and some of his boas he just lays the rat in there and they come over and just start eating it with even constricting.

[kitedemon]

I think it depends on the animal too, my old male (16+) constricts about 50% of the time the rest he just eats. He looks up at the rat and reaches up (no strike) and just grabs it by the head (I grip with hemostats by the scruff of the neck) and starts to eat it. No strike no constricting just swallowing.

Some times he strikes and constricts for like a second or less and then eats.

Conversely I have one that strikes and squeezes forever 10 maybe 20 min every time I feed her first and usually get all 10 others done and she is just starting to find the head at that point.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I have a BP, and a carpet who don't even wrap around F/T rodents... They don't even strike. They just slither up and bite the rodent and immediately start to eat it. But if I offer a live rodent they will strike and constrict. So I would say that they can tell.

[Trackstrong83]

It's crazy how they can tell the difference.